BOSTON (AP) -- Cam Neely provided the inspiration the Boston Bruins needed Monday night to keep their unbeaten streak alive.
On the night Neely became the 10th Bruin whose number was retired, Sergei Samsonov's tiebreaking goal with 7:12 remaining lifted the Boston to a 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.
"I talked to our players about drawing inspiration from this guy because he is the consummate Bruin," coach Mike Sullivan said. "But, I was hoping to draw the inspiration a little earlier, because it took us a while to get going."
Samsonov helped the Bruins rally from a two-goal deficit when he scored a power-play goal from inside the blue line. Boston has won four straight and is 5-0-1 in its last six games.
It was only Samsonov's third goal since Nov. 8.
"It was a slow first period and we regrouped after the intermission," Samsonov said. "I'm not sure what it was, maybe just sitting around. We have more confidence we can score now. It's a different mentality."
After Jason Botterill gave Buffalo a 3-1 lead 2:35 into the second period, the Bruins scored three straight goals -- two by rookie Patrice Bergeron.
"If you look at the entire game, we played pretty solid," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "We didn't give up a whole lot of chances, but when we did, they went in. We missed too many opportunities to bury them."
After pulling the Bruins within a goal with 4:52 remaining in the second, Bergeron tied it when he knocked in a rebound of Nick Boynton's slap shot 4:23 into the third. Bergeron has six goals in eight games and is tied for the team lead with 13.
"Patrice is a great player who is beyond his years," Brian Rolston said. "There aren't too many 18-year olds that come into the league and do what he is doing."
Jochen Hecht built the Sabres' lead to 2-1 when he scored an unassisted short-handed goal with seven minutes left in the first. Hecht has a goal and three assists in the last three games.
Boston has allowed nine short-handed goals this season, trailing only the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks, who have given up 10.
Daniel Briere gave the Sabres a 1-0 lead when he knocked Hecht's pass by goalie Andrew Raycroft at 7:21 of the first. Briere leads Buffalo with 30 points.
Joe Thornton tied it 1-1 when he caught Martin Biron out of position and scored with 10:25 remaining in the first. Thornton, who also assisted on Bergeron's first goal, has three goals and four assists in six games.
Boston missed an opportunity to get even late in the first period when Mike Knuble's goal was disallowed because he knocked the puck in with a high stick.
Knuble assisted on the game-tying goal and has six points in five games for the Bruins.
The Sabres were 0-4 on the power play and Boston has killed off 59 of its last 61 short-handed situations.
